On politics in the Golden State

Skelton: Affordable Care Act may not be affordable for Sacramento

In a place such as California's Democrat-dominated Capitol, it's not popular to question President Obama's sweeping healthcare legislation.

But in Monday's column, George Skelton said he's concerned that the Affordable Care Act will end up costing California more than it can spend.

"It's as if somehow it would be contradictory -- even Democratic heresy -- to support a laudable expansion of healthcare coverage and to also acknowledge that it was going to require more California tax dollars," he wrote. "To ignore the cost is to be intellectually dishonest."

In 2010, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration said the state would need to spend up to $2.65 billion annually. Gov. Jerry Brown's administration said that estimate isn't correct, but hasn't offered a new one.

Although the Affordable Care Act is expected to bring more federal funding to California, it is also likely to expand the state's healthcare program for the poor, Medi-Cal, by an estimated 1.6 million people.